Yesterday, I introduced a simple tool Edward de Bono provided to help people develop the ability to Pay Attention. The tool was called PMI. 

In summary:

PMI (Plus-Minus-Interesting)¹

You can develop your faculty of ATTENTION by taking the time to focus on 3 things:

• the Plus aspects of the situation
• the Minus aspects of the situation
• the Interesting aspects of the situation

Pay Attention!

Probably, very few of us can remember the first time we heard that instruction.

But - we know it happened way back when we were children.

And - for some of us, it happened quite a bit.

Yet - who has ever taken the time to tell us how to do it?

Answer...Edward de Bono¹.

Here is an introduction to a simple tool de Bono presented in his book 'Water Logic'.

First...about Directing Attention, de Bono explained:

Attention flow is determined by:

• what is out there, the outer world
• our standard perceptual patterns
• the context of the moment and
• what we are trying to do

Then de Bono presented his simple attention-directing, thinking, tool... 

PMI (Plus-Minus-Interesting)

You can develop your faculty of ATTENTION by taking the time to focus on 3 things:

• the Plus aspects of the situation
• the Minus aspects of the situation
• the Interesting aspects of the situation

de Bono clarified, "PMI is not at all natural. Rather, it is natural to interpret, recognize, and judge as quickly as possible. PMI ensures a basic exploration of the subject before judgment."

The way I describe it...

PMI is provocative. It disrupts the normal [natural] way our brains/minds function. It enables our thoughts to escape from deeply-patterned ruts. When our thoughts get out of the ruts the neurons in our brains say to one another, "Wait a nanosecond here...something isn't right...we better pay attention to this." The next thing our minds know...we are paying attention. In essence, when we use PMI we trick our brains into allowing our minds to pay attention. And, if we practice PMI until it becomes a Habit then that Habit will be a good one.

The Good Habit will be the strength/skill known as the ability to Pay Attention!

PS: If you have not tried PMI before then, for you...it is a New Thing.

Footnote

1. 'Water Logic' (1991)

Thought Tweet #452 Here's a paradox - we must learn to relax if we want to improve our faculty of attention.

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Meditation guru B. Alan Wallace introduced it this way: “Before we can develop attentional stability, we first need to learn to relax.” 

And, as an introduction to his meditation instruction, he wrote: "Our minds are bound up with our bodies, so we need to incorporate our bodies into meditative practice. In each session we will do this by first settling the body in its natural state, while imbued with three qualities: relaxation, stillness, and vigilance."

Source: B. Alan Wallace 'The Attention Revolution', (2006)